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My Teeth Are In The Cloud?

The answer is - why not? Everything else is in the cloud now. All of our music and photos and contact information is there. We now have universal medical records that reside there.

Last month we talked about our new digital tooth scanner, and how this new technology replaces traditional dental impressions. This month I want to expand on the benefits.

First, a scan of your teeth stored in the cloud exists forever (versus a plaster model collecting dust in your orthodontist's storage unit). It is a perfect digital record of your teeth.

Let's say you move across the country, then you lose your retainer. The existing scan can be emailed to a local orthodontist to download, print a model, and make a new retainer.

Let's say you lost your retainer and months have gone by and now your teeth have shifted slightly. A printed model of your scanned teeth in their perfect position can produce a new retainer that will move your teeth back to their original position.

Second, a scan is highly accurate. It is accurate to 3 microns (a micron is a thousandth of a millimeter - divide an inch into 1000 pieces, then divide one of those pieces by 25). Retainers and appliances fit better.

Third, it is a much more tolerable way to take an impression of your teeth, especially for younger patients who haven't had an impression before, or patients with strong gag reflexes.